Tramadol is a relatively mild opioid-like analgesic.
Many of the analgesics currently used for tension headache contain
caffeine, or are anti-inflammatories. Tramadol avoids the problems
inherent with these compounds.

My retrospective assessment of the efficacy and safety of tramadol
use in tension headache yielded 245 patients (treated from 1996 to 2003).
The analysis revealed that 55% of patients initially felt that tramadol
relieved their tension headache. However, over time only 28% of patients
remained on the medication. The majority of the patients discontinued
the medication due to declining efficacy. The most common adverse advents
were: dizziness, fatigue, and increased headache.

Three patients reported withdrawal upon discontinuation of tramadol,
with no indication of abuse. Four patients overused tramadol, while one
overused tramadol plus acetaminophen (Ultracet). These patients were
withdrawn off of tramadol, and none were felt to be addicted.

Tramadol has been marketed as relatively nonaddicting. I have heard,
from various members of the Ortho-McNeil marketing team, that tramadol
addiction ranges from "1 in 10,000 to 1 in 100,000". We have witnessed
erroneous aggressive marketing of addictive medications in the past.
Examples of this include the marketing of butorphanol (Stadol) nasal
spray by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in the early 1990ís,1 and
more recently the marketing of Oxycontin by Purdue Pharma L.P..
These were more powerful medications than tramadol, with a significant
incidence of serious adverse advents. (In the case of butorphanol,
the drug was released by the FDA as non-scheduled, and instructions
were issued to the company to perform thorough postmarketing follow-up.
This was not accomplished.)

One 1999 postmarketing study did address tramadol abuse.2
It revealed that 97% of abuse cases occurred among individuals with a
history of substance abuse. However, further follow-up on tramadol
abuse has been very limited. In my current study, 7 patients had a
withdrawal syndrome, or overused tramadol. An internet search revealed
a number of law offices advertising for patients who have become addicted
to tramadol. If even one or two percent of patients overuse or abuse
tramadol, it is much more than what Ortho-McNeil acknowledges.

I have raised the addiction issue with Ortho-McNeil representatives,
regional scientists, and the medical information department. The
representatives and regional scientists have responded to my questions
in a very appropriate manner. They do indicate that they realize the
potential for addiction is far greater with tramadol than the company
will allow them to officially state. My calls to the medical information
department at Ortho- McNeil have met with resistance. They should be
more forthcoming about the true addiction potential of tramadol.